Hollow
by Aarnael
Summary: With the sudden appearance of a strange man in their lives, the women of Rosario, left heartbroken over the death of Tsukune, find themselves intrigued by this enigmatic, yet familier, stranger as echoes of the past come to light.
1. Chapter 1

***][***

A killer stalked the streets of New York, dead eyes hidden from the glaring lights of the city underneath shades as it made its way placidly through the throngs of people. A jovial smirk playing on its features. Men speak of monsters and demons but this…creature made those that went bump in the night seem tame. The beast walked in the skin of a man, average of height and long of gait with neatly combed black hair and far eastern features wearing a fine three piece suit and tie, preverbal blood soaked hands stuffed into a pair of lambskin gloves. His clothing, as well as his gloves, were black of color with the sole exemption of his tie. Decorated with a wide crisscrossing pattern of white lines upon its umbral fabric. With his suit jacket buttoned at the waist the beast he stopped to gaze up through the crowds of people that passed him by like rocks in a stream. Amidst the towering structured glittering in the tainted mixture of starlight and streetlights as they jutted skyward like crystalline monuments to God, stood the single, brightly lit structure of 432 Park Avenue, his target.

***][***

Kurumu Kurono was the vision of beauty, having allowed her azure blue locks to flow freely and dressed in a white, open backed translucent dress that was a tantalizing cross between sultry and modesty. The rich tan of her skin allowed for much of her body to be viewed beneath the dress while a floral pattern stretching from her v-shaped neckline down to her pumps preserved her modesty. Twin slits up the sides gave her the freedom to show as much, or as little, of her ample thighs and sculpted calves as she wished.

Unfortunately, Kurumu wasn't in such a mood and in fact wished to use those legs to flatten the annoying little pricks hanging around her like flies to a carcass. Several men from various generations vied for her attention, showing off quarter million dollar Rolexes and offering her expensive trips and drinks but, to the disappointment of all, the only thing passing her lips was a closely guarded glass of water as she eyed the objects of her ire.

Dominating a corner of the penthouse was a large wrap around couch that held many occupants, but a single woman. This woman was none other than the young succubus' mother, Ageha. Dressed in a red, off the shoulder, fur collared dress that was bursting at the seams under the strain of her curves the elder Kurono masterfully entertained the high rollers of the party. Her attention constantly shifted from one billionaire to another as several wives eyed her jealously and others dragged their husbands away from the clamor that dwarfed Kurumu's own by far.

In another life, Kurumu would have felt a bit envious by the fact, especially since the elder succubus dragged her here all the way here in the first place, However Kurumu wished that those around her would disappear into her mother's throng and leave her in peace.

With her gaze boring into her mother's skull Kurumu wished that her Auntie was here instead of the other side of the country as the beautiful Caro shade would no doubt draw the attention of the pesky flies hanging over her and they'd leave her alone with her thoughts. Thoughts of a man with kind caramel eyes and a warm smile. Her wonderful destined one who refused to listen to the desires of his body and instead choose to follow his big, beautiful heart. A heart forever lost to her.

Tears sprung to her violet eyes and the young woman fought them back, she absolutely refused to cry. Not here, not in front of these wretched vultures that only wanted her for her body. Her lovely face twisted into a scowl that scared the living daylights out of her unwanted entourage before she sent one last look towards her mother and, deciding that the elder woman would most likely not be returning with her anyway, snatched her clutch purse from the nearby table and made a beeline for the door before slamming into something hard, and warm.

***][***

A pair of elevator doors, burnished silver slabs of steel, slowly slid open with a ding, allowing the beast entrance to prowl the halls. Italian leather shoes tapped ominously upon the hardwood floors leading up to the penthouse door at the far end of the hall where two burly men in grey suits stood watch.

Stepping up to the towering pair the unassuming Asian man appeared like a child to them with their bulging muscles and straining suits. The one on the right was a bald African American with a large brow and a stern face with a mouth framed by the faint dusting of facial hair, while his partner was a slightly smaller white male with cropped hair and goatee.

"Password." Barked the first one, his hands in his pockets while his partner leaned against the wall. The black suited horror adjusted his cuffs for a moment before looking up at the pair with a kind smile.

"Giovanni." He said, causing the smaller guard to take up a look of confusion while his partner imitated a buzzer.

"Bhrrrrgh, wrong answer. This is a private party, if you ain't got the password then you've gotta bounce." He said removing his hands from his pockets and attempting to intimidate the much smaller man. It was a wasted effort as the Asian wasn't even looking at him, instead focusing on his partner.

"Alexander Giovanni, wanted in seven countries for a list about as long as my arm." He said holding up his left hand towards the ceiling. "Murder, rape, mutilation, torture, and let's not forget Libya." Giovanni grew paler and paler in complexion as the Asian man listed off his crimes with his fingers, until his partner moved forward.

"What type of shit you talking man?" The mountain of muscle exclaimed as he went to grab the Asian but was stopped when the man's gaze cut to him.

"I'll get to you in a moment Francis." He interjected before returning to Giovanni just in time to see him drawing a gun from the inside of his coat. Moving swiftly the Asian ducked underneath the out swinging arm holding the gun and jammed his thumb between the backside of the trigger and the guard to stop him from firing before slamming the palm of his hand into the underside of Giovanni's nose, forcing the cartilage up through the nasal cavity and into the brain. Taking the gun from the dying man's hand the killer calmly turned back to Francis who gaped in shock.

"Now…where were we?"

***][***

Strong hands steadied her to make sure she stayed on her feet as Kurumu reeled from her sudden collision. Looking up she saw that the hands belonged to a man just barely a head taller than her looking down at her from behind dark sunglasses. He appeared to be around her age and his features told her that he was from Asia though she couldn't tell from where. His calloused hands where rough on the bare skin of her arms but there was something vaguely familiar about his touch, almost as if she'd felt it before.

"A little early to be running into things isn't it?" He joked in perfect English, if slightly dull and monotonous.

"I don't know, isn't it a little late to be wearing shades? Especially indoors." Kurumu shot back before removing herself from his steady grip. With a chuckle the man reached up and removed his glasses.

"I suppose it is." He said as his covered hands revealed rich purple eyes to the world, a shade brighter than her own. Folding the arms of the accessory back, he placed them into the inside pocket of his coat and fixed his eyes on her and cracked a smile.

"So, what's got you in such a hurry?" He said. Kurumu risked a glance behind her to see a few of those pesky flies had tried to follow her on her way out. Looking back at the man, she found him looking over her shoulder towards the advancing group with curiosity before those violet orbs flicked back to her knowingly.

Without warning Kurumu was suddenly whisked away towards the dancefloor, away from the door and the flies. She felt a hand land just above her hip, pressing her into his firm chest, as another took hers and they began to waltz.

"There we are, one escape free of charge." The stranger said, mischief glinting in his eyes as he led her around the dancefloor. Kurumu glared up at the man, while escape had been her desire the method it was achieved was far from what she wanted. Only one man could touch her like this, only one man deserved to feel her body against his, to have his hot breath rush warmly against her skin, so why then wasn't she pushing him away?

"You're an asshole." She said.

He laughed.

**][**

The elder succubus watched her daughter out the corner of her eye as the young man lead her around the dance floor and she had mixed feelings, on one hand she was glad her daughter had finally taken a liking to someone and stopped chasing a ghost. For gods sake the boys been missing for years, it'll be a miracle if he was even alive much less still single. For all they knew the boy had run of with that Mizore girl to shack up in the mountains somewhere, a thought that irritated Ageha to no end. On the other there was something unnerving about the guy, like his smile was false, like it hid fangs. The amount of lust she felt coming from him was almost like a corpse, unnatural considering how close he was to a prodigy amongst a race that unconsciously radiated pheromones to attract prey. The amount of sexual desire coming from him should be suffocating and well visible by now, but there was nothing not even a tightening of his tailored slacks. He may as well be dead.

With her mind split between lording over her conquest and worrying about her daughter she never noticed the woman's presence until a spotless white gloved hand landed on her shoulder. A deep feeling of unease settled into Ageha which turned into full blown terror as she looked up into the seraphic smile of Kahlua Shuzen. The deceptively innocent blonde was radiating demonic energy directly at her though the childishly friendly smile never left her face; the effect was instant and made her next words even more frightening.

"If you and your daughter want to live, I suggest you leave now." She said with all the innocent malice of a little girl who see's someone playing with her toys, and perhaps she did.

**][**

Kurumu found that she was enjoying herself, with the man having laughed her insult away the two made small talk throughout the song till the very finish and somehow, she managed to learn even less about the stranger than she thought. She didn't even know his name.

A strong hand gripped her arm and Kurumu turned from him to find her pale faced mother grabbing her tightly.

"We have to go." She said, tugging heavily on her arm, almost pulling the smaller woman off balance.

"H-hold on, what's wrong momma?" Kurumu said, trying to keep both her balance and her modesty intact as she was pulled through the throng of party goers and aristocrats.

"No time to explain." Her mother said curtly. Kurumu looked back to find the strange man staring after her with something akin to sadness in his eyes.

"What's your name?!" She called over the throng. The man simply smiled and bowed deeply, thanking her for the dance before he vanished into the crowd.

***][***

The murderer watched as his dance partner vanished through the crowd on her way to the door. He wasn't worried, the doormen's bodies had already been disposed of before he entered the penthouse door, but he regretted not being able to dance with her anymore. She had such beautiful…everything.

"May I have this dance?" Said a girlish voice behind him as the door closed behind the succubus. Without even looking the monster knew just who was behind him as it wasn't the first time the two had _danced_ , yet still he turned and confirmed his suspicions.

"Kahlua Shuzen, why is it that I always run into at these things?" He said to the tanned skinned princess currently holding out her gloved hand towards him, richly dressed in a snow-white evening gown with a diamond tiara. she smiled at him innocently.

"Why Iwao, I dare say its fate." She said as he took her hand.

"You give your spy's too little credit lady Shuzen." Iwao retorted as he kissed her knuckles before they shifted into the waltz. "So, is it business or pleasure that brings you here today lady Shuzen?" He said, slipping into Japanese

"Please Ao-kun, for the umpteenth time call me Lulu!" Kahlua reprimanded with a childish pout, slipping into perfect Japanese as well. "It _was_ business, but then…" She trailed off with a slight blush.

"You saw that I was going to be here." He finished for her as they went through the steps, back and forth, back and forth, one two three, one two three, her lithe body pressing against him warmly as they whirled gracefully across the dancefloor. The deceptively strong muscles of her legs taking the lead from him without contest, gracefully pulling him along.

"Well Ao-kun, I never figured you for a mind reader." She chirped, a knowing smile playing at her lips. She knew damn well that this had become a pattern, showing up where ever the risk was high enough. In the beginning he had simply believed it was because they shared the same profession, but now it was just plain ridiculous.

Seeing the frown on his face, Kahlua giggled. "Oh behave, I was only teasing. You're always so serious, it's charming." She finished huskily, pressing herself deeper into his body.

"Shall we get the dance underway?" Iwao said, eager to get things going so he could complete his objective. Kahlua just laughed and pulled herself into an outward twirl.

"But Ao-kun, we're already dancing." She pointed out after her spin, their hands bridging the gap between them until she spun once more, this time inwardly, bringing his arm around her so that it draped against her front as she pressed her back against his torso. Using the position, the beast in mans clothing began to squeeze the woman with unnatural strength. Bearing down on her with all he had would've crushed a normal human, but both he and she knew that she was not ordinary, even amongst their kind. Instead of being flattened to a paste she dissolved into a pout.

"Oh alright, party pooper." She said, easily breaking a hold that could snap steel with a flick of her wrist as she stepped forward. "Perhaps we should clear the room first?" She said looking around the crowded penthouse, having gathered quite the crowd during their spectacle of a dance that still awed onlookers.

"You sure I won't just vanish during the commotion?" Iwao said, straightening and brushing off the non-existent dust from his suit. At this Kahlua laughed as she removed her gloves, it wasn't the childish giggle of endearment from before, nor the mirthful sound of joy, but the chuckle of a being confident in her prowess and place in the world confronted by the challenge of a fumbling child.

"Oh darling." The blue-eyed angel smirked as she pulled at the fingers of her remaining glove, pulling the white silk away from the contrasting mocha of her skin and tossing it aside, her eyes examining her nails. The white princess took a moment to close her eyes, a beatific smile on her face before those same eyes slid open, slowly opening to reveal the burning crimson of the damned as she spoke, her voice went from sweet chiding to darkly threatening as she growled. "You can't run from me."

***][***

Wiping a tear from her eye, the dark-skinned princess surveyed her handiwork before she turned an electric smile towards the other survivor of the massacre, her eyes still a brilliant crimson that matched the blood splattered on the walls. It had been so quick, so merciless that they barely had time to scream much less put up a fight before they perished. With the natural grace of her species, Kahlua stepped over the corpses to stand before Iwao.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Kahlua chirped, gesturing towards the many dismembered bodies littering the room. "You really bring out the best in me Ao-kun." She smiled.

"Or the worst." Iwao said, wiping away a spot of blood from his face before looking around at all the unrecognizable corpses.

"Pfft, potato potahto, I simply made us enough room." She reached out a tanned hand invitingly. "Now…about that dance."

"Fine then." Iwao said before he removed his coat and tossed it onto one of the burning bodies and rolling up the sleeves of his black button down, revealing a silver chain and cross pendant wrapped around his right wrist. "Far be it from me to refuse a lady a dance, shall we begin?"

Without reply Kahlua rushed forward to deliver a spinning high kick which he met with an arm bar. Grabbing the offending appendage, Iwao slung her around and slammed her against the wall. Apparently unaffected, Kahlua wrapped her free leg around his arm and pushed herself off the wall and into a spin that pulled Iwao off his feet and slammed him into the ground while keeping him pinned between her thighs.

"You know…" She drawled. "This isn't how I imagined getting your hand between my legs."

"It has its advantages." Iwao said before forcing himself to his knees to whip Kahlua around and fling her off, the passing of her manicured nails leaving deep gouged in his skin that healed in mere moments.

Landing in a crouch, Kahlua grabbed the burning hulk of a table and flung it at Iwao, who simply plowed his fist into the solid oak. As the ruins passed him, Kahlua sprang into view with a smirk to deliver a devastating gut shot that lifted Iwao from the floor to be the perfect target for the following roundhouse delivered via Kahlua's white thigh-high stiletto clad leg to plow him into a wall and into the next room.

A bone crushing fist met Kahlua as she dashed into the room, colliding with her jaw. She responded with an uppercut that forced Iwao to back step and deliver a one two punch combo, knocking her around before a mule kick plowed into her abdomen with enough force to send her stumbling back.

Kahlua's hair whipped back as she looked up from her crouch to find Iwao bearing down on her with the bedrooms vanity. The heavy object plowed into her slender frame with great speed thanks to Iwao's unnatural strength, blasting her head upwards a moment before the vanity came around once more knocking her to the side. Kahlua never stopped smiling throughout the entire exchange and now, looking over her shoulder, the excitement in her eyes was evident as she reached towards one of the crosses dangling from her ear.

Seeing this Iwao flung his improvised weapon at her, hoping to stop her from removing the limiter, but he was too late however, as the vanity was suddenly sliced apart. Not even pausing, Iwao rushed back. Trying to gain some distance between him and the wicked blades now replacing Kahlua's left arm.

The caramel marble masterpiece was replaced by several disturbing bat-like protrusions that belied her angelic appearance, grotesque and veiny membranes that Iwao knew from experience could easily slice through anything short of a miracle.

"You know." Kahlua said with a smile, the diaphanous blades twitching and jerking with a mind of their own. "You're among the few people to survive seeing me like this, many times in fact."

"Just lucky I guess." Iwao said, not reacting in the slightest at the horrendous sight of her half-released state. Kahlua wasn't convinced.

"Or fate." She offered once again. "Perhaps if you-."

"Not interested." Iwao cut in. "Quite happy where I'm at thank you, besides you Shuzen women have a tendency of being black widows."

"It wasn't imouto's fault!" Kahlua shouted with a childish stamp of her foot, once more showing her infantile side. "I'm so tired of people blaming her, It's just a stupid, baseless, horrible rumor!" Her blades responded to her frustration, whipping about wildly to slice apart anything around her.

With out fear Iwao calmly pulled out a small black box with a blinking red light and antenna, Kahlua stilled.

"I'm afraid I must cut our dance short." With a flick of his gloved finger, the light turned green. Iwao wasted no time, and was already sprinting towards the nearest window before Kahlua could react. His legs blurred as he gained momentum before he crashed through the window and into the darkness beyond.

***][***

The Kurono family had barely exited the building when it exploded. A massive fireball lit the night and shockwaves rocked the area sending pedestrians, including the mother-daughter pair, to the ground amidst a hail of broken glass.

As they watched the building burn, they were unaware of the eyes watching them from the crowd. The masses of first responders and civilians flowing around him like water, with a small smile Iwao looked on as Kurumu helped her mother to stand.

Reaching into a side pocket, the man in black removed a pair of gold framed sunglasses, opened the arms and placing them on his face…just as the color of kings faded to brown and his black hair bled to chocolate and vanished into the crowd.

***][***

 _ **This is just something I've had in my head for a while now. It's loosely based on the Get what you wanted story line with a few changes. The incident happened two years after Tsukune and Moka got married and this is three years after that.**_


	2. Chapter 2

***]2[***

The nightclub was a haven of life, the walls throbbing from the volume of the music as hot, sweaty bodies pressed against each other in a haze induced by alcohol or whatever else had circulated through the sardinian confines. Though the place was filled to the rafters, one man in a dark suit easily navigated his way through the pulsing throng towards the bar.

Zhi Yue watched carefully as the man leant against the bar on his elbows and ordered a drink. His black hair was slicked back and spiked wildly, giving him an air of wild charm as he turned to smile at her suavely.

"Well hello there." He said, turning on his elbow and leaning against his side facing her. Allowing her jade green eyes to lock with his brilliant purple orbs.

"Hi." She said, shifting her gaze away and letting her ruby lips to draw from her martini. Which must've been the reason for the sudden burst of warmth she felt as he sidled closer.

"What's your name?" He asked, keeping his hands clasped as he kept his rightward elbow on the bar. Zhi Yue adjusted the skirt of her qipao, the heat growing warmer as she fidgeted with her dress. There was something about this man that just magnetic, was it the unusualness of his eyes? The heated timbre of his voice? Or maybe it was just how handsome he looked with his eyes glowing in the light with his slight tan and pearlescent teeth. She didn't know, but the sudden itch of her intimates made her restless and she was far to experienced in this game to go down that easy.

"Zhi Yue." She said coolly, setting down her semi full martini and running her finger around the rim. Refusing to look at him as a symbol of dominance, this wasn't her first rodeo and she would be damned if _she_ chased him.

" _Angelic reflection of the moon_ , I knew it was beautiful. Well Zhi Yue, can I buy you a drink?" The Chinese woman looked up at him, her eyes lidded and smiled before lifting her drink.

"I already have a drink." She said before bringing her the glass to her lips. However, before so much as a drop passed her pout, strong nimble fingers plucked the martini from her lips and violet eyes bore into jade as his handsome smile drained her glass, the mans eyes watching her with unsheathed desire and the confidence to match. Almost as if she where already sprawled naked upon his bed…Zhu Yuan's very core shivered.

So much for not going down easy.

***][***

His touched burned her skin, a pleasant feeling that had her melting into his arms as he led her to his apartment. Zhi Yue was unashamed to admit that her resistance barely lasted longer than it took for him to empty her martini, the look he had in his eyes when doing so destroyed every border and boundary she had. The dark-haired woman could barely manage to control herself during the short elevator ride to his floor, much less the thirty-minute cab ride over here!

But Iwao had insisted, all the while granting her soft caresses against her smooth skin that made her question the need for morality, and she nearly lost it when he had bent down and nipped the delicate skin of her neck with his teeth. The blissful hell came to and end when the doors opened with a soft ping, Zhi Yue practically dragged the man down the hall till he said they'd arrived at the door.

Once he finally unlocked the door Zhi Yue tackled him inside, blissfully unaware of the smirking woman leaning against the corner at the end of the hall as she kicked the door closed.

***][***

Iwao placed a large box wrapped in green foil and topped with a black bow smoothly on the glass table in front of a middle-aged man in a sweater vest. Sweat clung to the balding skin of his scalp as his eyes shifted from the box to Iwao.

"I-is that-." The American stuttered, gesturing to the box with a finger from his clasped hands, held together in his lap to stop the shaking.

"Indeed, it is Mr. Lincoln." Iwao affirmed calmly, leaning back with his legs crossed and hands folded. Mr. Lincoln swallowed lightly, gulped really, before leaning forward and nervously taking the box in his hands. Suddenly he looked up at Iwao with wide, questioning eyes.

"What about-."

"Safely aboard flight 422 inbound from Hong Kong, my assistant Ms. Scarlet tells me that the girl is currently binge-watching twilight while her little brother sleeps. Your children are safe." The man assured before handing over a slip of paper. "You may pick them up tomorrow from here."

"Thank you, God bless you sir." Mr. Lincoln cried as Iwao stood.

"One last thing Mr. Lincoln." Iwao said as he buttoned his blazer. "You may look inside the box, or not. It is up to you; however, it leaves with me. Do you understand?" The American nodded the affirmative, however he set the box down and looked up at Iwao with steel suddenly in his eyes.

"Did you sleep with her?" He demanded.

"No." Iwao said and the steel vanished, replaced by miserable melancholy.

"Was it quick?" He asked but received no answer. Looking at the box one more time he sighed. "Take it."

With a nod, Iwao moved to the table and lifted the unopened box, but not before he dropped something metallic upon the table. Something that was immediately seized by the older man as Iwao left the modest two-story house. The sound of soft weeping following him out.

With the gravel crunching beneath his feet, Iwao made his way to the sleek silver Mercedes parked twenty feet from the house. With the box in one hand he pressed a button on the keychain which opened the trunk, ducking his head inside he placed the box beneath the spare tire in a hidden compartment.

As he closed the trunk he was greeted by the sight of a woman leaning against his car.

"You know I can get rid of that for you right?" The woman said with a finger to the trunk.

"I prefer feeding it to the Jian shi." He said as he closed the trunk with a loud thunk before moving to enter the driver's seat.

"Man! I keep forgetting how hardcore you can be when it comes to these things." She said as he entered the vehicle.

"She shouldn't have done what she did Bedivere." He said to the wild red-haired woman next to him as he started the car and shifted to reverse.

"Seriously though, seducing her, torturing the woman for hours then feeding the evidence to the undead I can understand, but on Vacation! what's your fucking deal?" Bedivere questioned, turning in her seat as Iwao backed out of the driveway. Shifting to drive, Iwao set off down the road in silence for a moment.

"Let's just say I have problems with women that use a man's kids against him."

***][***

A set of sleek black vehicles pulled out behind the Luxury car. Shaded eyes witnessed them in the rearview as they formed up behind him with a car saying on his tail as the other two moved to box him in.

"Take the wheel." Iwao told his scarlet haired companion who jerked in surprise.

"What?" Her head flew back to look at the accelerating cars before she headed his command.

"As soon as I take the wheel I want you to teleport back to the plane and watch over the children." He said as he reached into his coat and removed a silenced colt .45. "But before that I want you to grab the black case out of the trunk and leave it open on the seat." He added as he removed the silencer to place back in his pocket.

"What about you?" Bedivere questioned but, receiving no answer, she vanished as soon as his hands returned to the wheel, leaving a thick black case open in her spot.

Slamming the pedal to the floor he zipped out of the box before it could close just as the first volley peppered the side of the Mercedes. Popping the clutch and shifting in to fifth gear he quickly gained distance on the pair of suburbans before the smaller sedan at his tail caught back up and the two weaved through traffic at breakneck speeds.

Jerking the wheel to the side, Iwao deftly avoided crashing into the tail end of an eighteen-wheeler before he popped the clutch again and slipped back into fourth gear before sliding beneath the rigs trailer. Tapping the brakes, he managed to surprise the other driver by appearing beside him before Iwao whipped up his pistol and unloaded into the driver's seat, busting out the passenger side glass and taking out the opposing driver.

Slamming back into fifth, he sped past the truck cab just as the now driverless vehicle plowed into the sidewall of a bridge and got T-boned by a mini-van.

Iwao ducked his head down just in time to avoid a hail of gunfire from the swifter of the two suburbans, all the while digging in the black case beside him. Ducking in front of a ford Taurus he avoided the rest of the bullets. Weaving back out, he wrenched up on the emergency brake and whipped the silver vehicle around as the other hand came out the black case beside him.

As the Mercedes whirled around the lead sedan to the right was besieged by a storm of bullets which caused the driver to lose control and be plowed into by the eighteen-wheeler that devoured the smaller vehicle, the storm never ceased as the Mercedes came around and Iwao fired into the front glass yet missed the driver who kept coming as the gunman behind him came up to kill.

Tapping the brakes and shoving the car into reverse Iwao gunned it and the chase continued for a moment as Iwao tossed aside the empty Uzi and reached back into the case while expertly weaving past various cars and trucks littering the highway.

Bringing his hand up again, a hollow explosion of air popped in his ear and the sedan exploded in flames, the explosion forcing them into the air in a twister of metal and fire. Flipping end over end until it slammed into the ground upside down.

Placing the hand-held grenadier back down, Iwao slammed back into first before making is way back to the flaming wreckage and slowed to a stop. Stepping out of the car he calmly walked up to the man crawling away from the wreckage, covered in blood and burns.

"St-stop pleas-." He tried to beg but Iwao had placed one between his eyes before he could fully form his cry for mercy. With a flick of the wrist the assassin emptied the clip into the blaze, the dancing flames danced in his sunglasses as Iwao eyed the burning suburban for a moment until he was satisfied that no one else survived before he walked away.

Reaching into his pocket he removed a sleek silver cellphone and typed in a number.

"I'm calling in a cleanup." He said before entering his car.

***][***

Sunflowers. Thousands upon thousands of the golden petaled beauties stretching as far as the eye could see cradled his weary flesh in their soft embrace. He was tired, so…so tired. Bleeding feet crunched in the snow, the hot burning flesh cooled by the its gentle caress as countless glimmering flakes drifted down from the sky to melt on his fevered flesh as he marched on. A warm breeze blew his hair back, brushing his oily hair from his face allowing his aching eyes to see the bright blue sky, a sky full of hope and love, for the first time.

"-une." Whispered the wind, bringing the scent of perfume to his blood tinged senses.

"Mr. Iwao." The stewardess called as he slowly opened his eyes, coldly shaking off the delightful dream. The dark-haired woman had placed her hand on his shoulder to shake him awake when she saw the slight gleam of his eyes watching her. "We've landed." She informed him before walking away to the front of the luxury liner.

Shaking off sleep and the remnants of his recurring dream, Iwao run a hand down his face while turning to look out the window and confirming that they were indeed in Hong-Kong. With a tired sigh he lifted himself from his seat and stretched, easing the tension in his muscles from the long flight before he reached into the inside of is jacket and removed a pair of gold rimmed shades with purple tinted glasses. Placing them on his face he then ran a hand over his suit to smooth out the wrinkles and straightened his tie before moving to exit the plane.

He was thankful for his forethought as he exited the plane as the cloudless sky allowed the sun to shine blindingly. Looking around he saw a few other planes on the tarmac along with a sleek limo waiting just directly before the set of stairs leading down from the exit. Before the car was a young woman dressed in a veil that protected her from the sun, along with several dozen other men in suits standing around her position next to separate cars.

"I trust your vacation was well spent." Said the deceptively younger woman with a knowing smile as he stepped of the steps leading from the plane.

"It was." Iwao nodded on his way to the woman. "I trust you managed just fine in my absence Lingling."

"Just barely." She joked before turning to enter the back of the limo, the door being held open by the driver who nodded to Iwao as he entered as well before closing the door. "You know how chaotic this place gets without the resident boogieman." She said as he sat down.

Now that she was out of the sun, Lingling removed her veil revealing an eternally youthful girl in her late teens though she was somewhat older than the man sitting opposite of her in the car. Lingling gave her enforcer a smile before signaling for the driver to leave.

"Long flight?" She said, noting how Iwao sat slumped into the seat with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. It was a rare moment of weakness for the man who so often bathed in blood at her behest and she quite enjoyed the sight of his relaxed form.

"Oklahoma to Virginia then New York to London then finally Hong Kong. Nearly two days of flying, I kinda feel bad for the crew to be honest." He said calmly as he linked his hands together on his stomach before tipping his head back onto the seat.

"I'll have to have a word with them. Can't have you being inconvenienced because of some technicality, That's the whole reason I bought the plan in the first place." She said, flicking open her foldable fan and crafting a breeze with her wrist.

"Don't bother." Iwao mumbled sleepily as he dozed. "I'd rather live through the inconvenience then run out of fuel midair. Especially over the ocean."

"Yes, that would be bad." Lingling flicked her fan closed and Iwao slipped into slumber. As his breathing evened and his body stilled the elder watched, when she was sure he was deep asleep she stood from her seat. Hunched over from the low ceiling she crept over to his sleeping form and, with a clicking of her tongue reached for his shades.

"Can't even take his shades off." She said. Thinking how tired he must've to forget such a thing, they were expensive after all.

As the gold framed glasses left his face, the Chinese heiress came eye to eye with the violet gaze of the assassin.

"It has its advantages." He mused, watching her calmly down his nose.

***][***

Staring down her nose at a pitiful little executive wasn't exactly how Moka Aono wished to spend her anniversary. Ever since her husband had vanished three years ago she had taken on the tradition of visiting his family every year around this time but, the bills had to be paid so here she was. Working out yet another trade deal for her already immensely wealthy father in Russia.

It wasn't so bad, at least the pitiful little man folded easily beneath her gaze. He lacked a spine, a horrible ailment most men seemed to suffer from, at lest in her presence. There was only one man that ever had the balls to tell her no and, he was gone. Though she didn't appreciate the various rumors surrounding him, she wasn't afraid to use some to her advantage.

Such as now.

"I don't see the point in dragging this out any longer. Add the other fifty million and you've got a deal, otherwise we've got a problem." She flashed a toothy grin, promising lots of pain and destruction if he didn't comply. She did butcher the legendary Tsukune Aono, slayer of Alucard, after all.

"Yes, yes no problem Lady Akashiya." Said the fat little man, beads of sweat rolling down his fat little neck. A sharp tipped pen buried itself in the table next to his hand.

"Aono." Moka said dangerously, eyeing the man like a particularly annoying fly. The little man soon realized his mistake and quickly, fervently, apologized like a dog.

Ignoring the 'man' on the floor Moka stood from her chair and signaled her escort to stand as well before gathering her papers strewn about the table in a neat little brown briefcase. Though unnecessary, Kokoa's company was welcome as she kept the pink haired Mrs. Aono occupied today of all days, And that was something the silver haired woman could appreciate at least.

Suddenly the wooden door exploded inward to crash into the room, the pair of vampires reacting so fast they blurred but it still wasn't fast enough to stop the bullet that lodged itself into their client's forehead.

Two pairs of red eyes flicked over to the doorway to see a hallway full of bodies and the stoically cold assassin standing at the threshold, smoking gun in hand and small flecks of blood on his grey suit. Behind the purple tint of his glasses the piercing gaze of the vampires could see his eyes flick over to them and the set of his jaw tightened.

With a snarl Kokoa launched herself towards the newcomer her familiar Ko transforming into a lethal spiked bludgeon. Flowing like water, the red shirted man ducked beneath her swing and twisted behind her to press the barrel of his pistol to her skull and fired.

Fortunately for Kokoa, the round did nothing but stun her due to the muzzle flash and noise with the slug falling harmlessly to the floor, flattened from the collision with her skin.

Turning his attention to the elder, his expression changed as his lips drew thin. Raising the pistol between them the assassin fired.

Moka dodged, not for fear of her life but for fear of ruining the thirty thousand-dollar Armani pantsuit she was wearing. Sprinting forward she twisted to deliver a devastating roundhouse to his face. It was stopped dead, however as the assassin brought up an arm and silver streaks appeared in his hair. Or…were they always there? When her shin connected with his forearm, it felt like the equivalent of hitting a brick wall if she were a human. Thankfully she was a vampire, so the sudden impact hurt her pride and nothing less.

"Quite the nerve, killing one of _my_ clients." Moka said haughtily as she brought her leg back to launch a blitz attack of several punches and kicks. Her six-inch heels dug into his suit, tearing apart the fabric to reveal a dark sheen gleaming in dark contrast to the red of his shirt and grey of his suit, as it protected his skin from puncture as he defended against her barrage.

Just as the vampiress' assault began pushing him back, his fist shot out and buried itself into her side just as she went for a backhand mule kick and she stumbled back to glare at the assassin. His blow packed a surprising amount of power, knocking the wind out of her. Then it hit her, the dark hair, purple glasses, and stoic demeanor set of small little bells in her memory that led her to one conclusion.

"You must be the famous Iwao, I've heard a _lot_ about you." Moka said, a hint of exhaustion in her voice as she placed a hand on her hip. Kahlua could be so childish at times. "You've made quite an impression on my sister, unfortunately for you I'm not so easily impressed."

Despite her thinly veiled jab Iwao remained tightly lipped, wordlessly remaining in true professional form in the face of her ire. A good mark in her book.

Dipping to the side the assassin avoided a recovered Kokoa's wild swing, which splintered the conference table. Amidst a hail of wood slivers, with light bouncing of the silver streaks in his dark hair, Iwao sprinted forward towards Moka's forgotten briefcase that now soared through the air.

Realizing his intent, Moka snapped out with a kick that slammed into his side and sent him flying directly into the waiting swing of her sister, who lashed out with her mace. With the force of a speeding van, the transformed familiar plowed into the assassin and sent him crashing through the window and into the rush hour traffic of Moscow, thirty stories below.

***][***

Pain ripped into Iwao's already burning nerves as bone ground against bone accompanied by the sickening choir of pops and cracks as the fashionably dressed Bedivere delicately tried to reset his dislocated shoulder. With every crunch and pop the frightened girl jerked in horror until, after finally getting the man to scream in pain, she dropped the arm and hopped away.

"I'msorry.I'msorry. I'msorry.I'msorry." She apologized frantically, her words mushed together as they spewed out to the barely dressed man, having fallen down a skyscraper into traffic his clothes had been ripped and torn beyond recognition. His skin, blackened by the asphalt, writhed with each sick pop and crunch as his ribs reset themselves beneath the surface. It was a gross sight, and one that had a grown woman acting like a child.

With his arm still limp at his side, Iwao took several deep calming breaths after his neck snapped back into place, broken curtesy one Chevy Malibu, before looking over towards his squeamish assistant.

Unable to endure the sight, especially after the sudden jerk of his head being placed back where it belonged, she had squeezed her amber eyes tightly shut behind her glasses with her shaking hands blocking the rest of her face.

"Bedivere, its alright come here. We'll try one more time." He said gruffly, trying to sound as calm and understanding as possible while fighting off the urge to scream in general.

"No!" Came her terse reply, her arms flung down to her side with a heavy stomp of her foot, before she suddenly winking out of existence.

"Damn it." Iwao cursed, despite all her power Bedivere was still just a girl. Though, with a sudden snap of his collar bone reconnecting to his rib cage, he couldn't blame her.

Just as he was about to rise from the crate he was on to settle things with his shoulder the old-fashioned way, he suddenly wasn't alone anymore as Bedivere returned. This time someone the exact opposite of squeamish, in fact. Because she was already dead.

"I assume it went well." Lingling said as she stepped away from Bedivere, who whirled around away from them with her hands pressing down her hair as she bounced away.

"Depends on what you mean by well." Iwao replied bitterly as the Chinese woman waltzed over to him, she had apparently been sleeping when Bedivere yanked her out of space and time. Evidenced by the sheer laced nighty embroidered with various flowers swishing around her thighs.

"That Henry Bozick lie's dead of course." She said calmly as she inspected his arm. "You're not one for loose ends after all." She finished as her cold fingers wrapped around his arm. Iwao watched her in silence, keeping his mouth shut as he prepared for the sudden yank that finally, graciously, put his arm back in place.

As he basked in the alleviation of his burden, Lingling quietly went about gathering the small flakes of glass that lay trapped in his hair while his bodily tremors ceased.

"Happy anniversary by the way."


End file.
